1.) I just noticed the temperature is 76, despite the mid to upper 80's in the Charlotte area. Now, in the Summer, when temperatures are in the upper 90's, it's a major "cool down" to see temps fall down to the 80's. Now that we are a couple of weeks into Fall, even the mid 70's are hot, compared to the normal range of the mid to upper 60's. There is major relief from this last "heat wave", as Friday marks the cool off stage. We will be in the upper 60's on Friday, and lows will dip back to the 40's.........but, we are going to plummet down to the mid to upper 50's as highs on Saturday. Boone will see upper 40's, and low 50's for highs on Saturday. The trout are going to be shocked this weekend with the temperature differences we have experienced over the last few days. Hey, welcome to North Carolina......just wait 'till Winter comes around. The Winter season yields the most uncertainty, because of the ingredients that have to fall in place flawlessly, to have a major snowstorm....which we are due to have this year. I remember back in February 2004, when a foot and a half of the white stuff fell across the western Carolina. Here in Kannapolis, I vaguely remember 19 inches accumulating here in the City of the Looms. Other neighboring towns received a few inches above or below us. Regardless of those triple digit dog days of Summer, we can.....key word..can receive good snow amounts, but North Carolina is notorious for it's crippling ice storms.



2.) Fishing has been fair, if you hit the mid to higher elevation streams. With the warm temperatures, fishing down in the valleys and lower elevations, may not be as productive as fishing up high. As mentioned in the last 20 posts or so, green weenies, copper johns, PT nymphs, and lightning bugs have proved to be productive nymphs. Adams in #14-20, light cahills in #16-18, and cream midges in #22-24 are good. Heck, I'd even put a #12 stimulator on, or a small beetle or ant.....or skate a caddis across a feeding lane, and watch for rises. The point is to experiment with your favorite patterns. As long as you present your fly the way the natural would act, it should be fit for the fish. **If you do head to the stream, practice those summertime catch and release steps, you know, reel them in as quick as possible, use a net, and barbless hooks, and keep the fish in the H2O. ( This should be practiced year round, but special emphasize is used in the hot summer days.**



3.) I may be heading down to Bank of America Stadium to see the Panthers and the Saints. It will be a tough one, hopefully we'll pull it off.